you know, I wasn't going to go there...

[winterbadger]

But the bike ship where I got my bike and have until recently gotten it serviced emailed me a survey. And all the frustration and irritation of my last couple of visits have come back to me. So I replied:

The first few times I brought my bike in for service after I purchased it, I was happy with the service I received. However, the last two times I have been in, I was not happy, and I will not be returning to Spokes or recommending you any more (I have in the past, including recommending Spokes in my blog).

When I brought my bike in last year to have a handlebar replaced, the bell I had attached to the old bar was not moved to the new one, and when I pointed this out I was rudely told that "customers need to take off parts they don't want lost". I was not offered a replacement or even an apology. And the last time I came in (figuring I would give you another chance), the ?manager? (he seemed to be in charge) at the service counter was brusque and curt, cutting off the other staff who were trying to be more helpful and polite. I work in a customer-facing job, and I know that every day isn't a great day, but I also know that being polite and thoughtful doesn't take much extra work, and discourtesy costs you far more than taking a deep breath and putting aside your own issues to be, not even friendly, but just polite to people who are bringing you work.

Twice when I have brought my bike in for maintenance, the cable and magnet for the computer have been "adjusted" when I did not request this, and in both cases I have had to remove and reorient the parts because they were no longer working correctly. The wheel was not being changed or serviced--there was no need for anyone to move anything, but the magnets and cable were taken off and moved, apparently because the staff felt they should be mounted a different way (even though they didn't have the computer itself, so there was no way for them to test the new positioning). In one case, they threaded the cable through a gap in the brake, causing the cable to jam against the brake and degrade. In another case, the cable was shortened so it could be "artistically" wound around the brake cables, meaning it could no longer reach the original position and the spoke magnet had to be shifted. But in that position, the two sensors were so close together that one had to be turned sideways so they would clear. And even then, they were loose and slipping out of position.

Oh, and after the last service I got, the chain was still rusty, after the tech had specifically said it would be cleaned. So even the things they were *supposed* to be doing weren't done right.

I considered bring my bike back and complaining, but after the rudeness I was greeted with when I asked why my bell had gone missing, I figured I wouldn't bother. You've lost a customer, and I can only suggest that you give your shop staff better training in courtesy to customers and train them not to make unnecessary changes to things that are working fine.

(Mr) Jan Spoor
Takoma Park

Comments

[peaceful-fox.livejournal.com]

Since they asked, I would have done the same. You recieved unacceptable service. In this day and age, people have to learn that they can't treat customers with disdain and expect them to come back.

Have you found another place yet?

[winterbadger]

Not yet, but I live in Ground Zero for nut-cutlet-eating, nuclear-weapon-protesting, SUV-hating, lefty red socialist pinko commie people :-D, so there must be bazillions of them around!

(I was listening to some Republicans on the radio this morning complain about how Obama is transforming America into a hard-left socialist state with Marxist leanings--no, really, they were saying this--and I though "Oh, surely not? I would have heard from my Zionist masters in the Internationale if we'd had that sort of breakthrough, surely!" ;-)

[peaceful-fox.livejournal.com]

:::pssst::: Any news about the next Woodstock? ;-)

[winterbadger]

Heee.